The Mall
by MysticcT
Summary: Travis Walton is a lost sixteen year old who spends his days walking around a crowded mall, searching for what he can't find, hiding from what has not yet come to be, and dreaming of things that seem impossible. One inevitable night he gets locked in wher


**You unlock this door with the key of imagination, beyond it is another dimension, a dimension of sound, a dimension of sight, a dimension of mind. You're moving into a land of both shadow and substence of things and ideas. You've just crossed over into... the Twilight Zone.**

**THE MALL**

"Attention shoppers, the mall will be closing in thirty minutes, I repeat the mall will be closing in thirty minutes, thank you."

Travis walked through the milles of people, shoving his hands into his pockets, oblivious of the message that moments before had been addressed through the intercome. Stopping only briefly to look at a pair of shoes through the shiny glass window, he continued onward. Realizing the need to use the bathroom could no longer wait, he turned in the direction of the Men's Restrooms.

While walking through the doorway, he unnoticedly slit the back of his hand on a piece of sharp metal sticking out, the blood dripping from the silver and landing on the floor. He walked into a stall and unzipped his pants, sighing when the tinkling could be heard and the pressure on his bladder subsided. Looking at the ground he noticed a red liquid substance stained the white tiling and he lifted up his arm to find his left hand streaming with blood. The bergundy substance trickling down the lentgh of his elbow and dropping into a puddle on the floor.

**Drip...Drip...Drip**

"Shit", he muttered, zipping up his pants and walking out of the stall. He turned on the water and put his hand into the flowing liquid, watching as it carried away the vital fluid. Fifteen minutes later, he grabbed a paper towel, wrapping the injured hand up and walked to the bathroom door, never noticing the absence of people and the quietness that stretched around him.

Opening the door, he spotted the red soaked metal before walking completely out and down the corridor. He came to a stop at the end, focusing on the sliced hand when the silence finally penetrated his ears and he glanced up to find himself alone. No people were scattered about, suffocated into huge crowds. The stores were closed, most of them locked and only a few lights were on over head. Thats when it struck him and it dawned off his face. He was stuck. Stuck inside... the mall.

**Travis Walton is a lost sixteen year old who spends his days walking around a crowded mall, searching for what he can't find, hiding from what has not yet come to be, and dreaming of things that seem impossible. One inevitable night he gets locked in where he meets six strangers and one in particular that change his life forever. He will find there is far more than dreams out there as he wanders straight into... the twilight zone**

"What?" Travis ran as fast as he could down the long hallway, stopping when he reached the red painted double doors. Attempting to open them, he found it was chained and bolted as he sighed, turning around to lean agaisnt the frame. The food court could be seen not too far away and he heard various voices coming from the area.

Pushing himself off of the door, he slowly made his way to the bunched up food counters, coming to a halt when he noticed five people sitting comfortably in a group on the tables. He continued to walk again, cautiously approaching the strangers. A man turned around staring him in the face as the other four followed suit and became silent. Travis just stood there, not knowing what to say and admiring all of the faces. There were three men and two women all older than him. Some not too much and others nearly in their sixties.

"Excuse me? D-Do you know how to get out of here?", he stuttered, looking nervously between them. The man who appeared to be in his thirties stayed still before roaring with laughter. Travis stared at him confusedly.

"If we knew how, would we be in here?" The rest nodded to his answer.

"So... what, you guys are all locked in too?"

The group started to laugh, inclining their agreements with bows of the head.

"What's your name kid?", the man asked, taking a cigarette out of his back pocket.

"T-Travis."

"I'm Lawerence and this here is Ernie", he pointed to an old man sitting next to him who looked to be in his fifties and then to a younger one besides Ernie.

"And that's Charles."

"I'm Lucy", a young blonde who resembled the age of a twenty-five year old spoke up, smiling at him.

"And I'm Thelma." The sixty year old woman pointed to herself and giggled. Travis gave a tight smile, trying to calm down the worry that these people had lost a few nuts and bolts.

"So, how did you guys get locked in here?"

Lawerence took a puff of his cigarette, blowing the smoke carelessly into the air.

"How did you?"

Travis was taken aback from the eeryness surrounding the air and swallowed the lump in his throat.

"I was in the bathroom. Guess I didn't hear the anouncement."

Lucy and Thelma giggled as Lawerence took another puff.

"So what about you?", Travis asked again, trying to calm his rapidly beating heart.

"Us? Hmmm I don't know. Say Charles, how did we get in here?"

The young man with auburn-brown hair leaned forward.

"No idea", he said laughing.

"Ernie?"

"Not a clue", the old man hooted and the girls giggled again.

"Ladies?" They shook their heads, grinning.

"Well there you go", Lawerence replied, shrugging as the group went back to chit chatting, ignoring him like he wasn't there. Travis cleared his throat, but still nothing happened. Giving it a try again--louder this time--the five immediately stopped talking, looking his direction.

"Yes?", Lawerence asked, looking at him expectantly.

"Don't you want to find a way to get out of here?"

The rest of them chuckled, carrying away, but Lawerence held back, still gazing at him.

"Now wait a second, wait a second", the group quieted down, staring at Lawerence, "the kids got a point there." He hopped off the table and flicked the cigarette bud into the trash.

"We should be looking for a way out."

The others agreed, nodding their heads and smiling. Always smiling. A few moments passed by, but nothing happen and Travis was sure they all were crazy people who managed to escape the Pentbroke insane Asylum. Looking around nervously, he whistled slightly attempting to play it cool and blend in with the surroundings.

"Where do you guys come from?", he asked. Lucy smiled, waving for him to come closer and he strode to the table coming to stand in front of her. Her short blonde hair cascaded in curves around her face and the vulumptious deep red lipstick she was sporting shined in the bright ceiling light. She motioned for him to stick his head closer and he did.

"We come from Memorial Rounds", she whispered giving him a goofy grin.

"What is that? A town?"

Before she had the time to reply, Lawerence cleared his throat causing his attention to sharply turn from the blonde to the young man.

"We should find a way out of here like you said. Everyone okay with that."

The crew nodded their heads.

"Well let's get to it", Charles yelled, jumping off the table as the other three followed suit. They started to walk into different directions and Travis once again was confused. Why did they suddenly just want to find a way out when moments before they didn't even care?

"Lawerence!", he called and the man turned around.

"Shouldn't we stick together?"

Lawerence's face remained impassive.

"Now where would the fun be in that?"

Travis felt shivers go down his spine and then Lawerence suddenly cracked a smile.

"What I mean is, it's easier if we split up. Alot faster."

Travis only nodded as Lawerence smiled again and turned around, heading off in his own direction. He couldn't put his finger on it, but something seemed weird about this group and he had a gut feeling he was going to find out. Lucy turned back around coming to stand in front of him.

"You like it here, don't you?", she asked. She had a sad smile on her face and Travis nodded.

"Sometimes I never want to leave." The smile she sported disappeared off of her face and she began to back up, turning on her heel and walking into a seperate direction. He was momentarily puzzled at her sudden emotion when he admitted his thoughts to her and shrugged, deciding it was best to think about how to get out.

Moments later he followed his own path, pacing down the hall. He stopped at an open store. A television store it seemed, due to the fuzzyness on the plastic products that were switched on and he curiously made his way in. Coming to a stop in front of a huge screen, he examined it slowly. Figuring the store must leave them on he turned around and shrieked back in fear. A figure about six feet tall stood right behind him dressed in all black with glowing blue eyes. Travis could not see his face until the stranger stepped closer and the light from the screen illuminated his features.

"Hello Travis", he said. He looked maybe a few years older than himself and had flat brown hair, not to mention a malicious smile.

"H-How do you know my name?"

"Oh I know alot about you Travis Walton. Like how you come here everyday, finding solitary within these walls."

"Who are you?" The man stepped closer an evil smirk on his face.

"Your worst nightmare", he responded just above a whisper and Travis took a step back, nearly tripping. The man broke into a smile and started to chuckle.

"That is, if you wish it so."

Travis shook his head, trying to dodge the mysterious figure and run out of the store but was blocked.

"You're locked in here, no?"

Travis nodded and the mysterious figure snickered.

"Just so happens I know a way out, but", he began, looking at Travis straight in the eyes, "I'll only tell you if you win."

"Win what?", he asked quizzically.

"The game."

The stranger turned away from him, walking through the small rows of electronics, running his fingers over the devices.

"The game is Hide and Seek."

"Let me guess, you hide and I have to find you?"

The stranger stopped and shook his head, pointing his finger at Travis.

"No. You hide and I find you."

Travis' heart began to beat faster and fear flooded his body. There was something off about this young man, but he did need a way out. One thing that plagued his fears, was the weird feeling he had not to trust this person.

"Sounds easy enough, but what makes you think I can't find it on my own?", he asked defiantly. The man just grinned, leaning against the check out counter.

"Oh you can try, but you won't find it. I'm the only one who knows where it is."

Travis suspiciously turned his head, shaking it from side to side.

"How?"

The man shrugged.

"I work here. In the... memorial department", he let out slowly, grinning wickedly. Travis did not catch on and he sighed, looking at his watch. It read ten fifteen pm.

"Fifteen minutes huh?"

The stranger nodded, clasping his hands together and pushing his black clad body off of the counter he was lazily leaning on, and came to stand in front of Travis.

"But you didn't let me finish. IF I win and I find you before the time is up", he said stepping a little bit closer to Travis who could see the gleam in his eyes.

"You never leave this mall again", he said dangerously. Travis scoffed. Yeah right, there was no way he could keep him in this mall, besides Lawerence and the rest would help him.

"Deal." The mysterious stranger smiled icily, turning around to walk out of the room.

"You have five minutes to hide. Choose wisely."

"Wait! What's your name?", Travis asked the now departing figure.

The man turned around once more and grinned.

"Lawuc Marne", he said before disapperaing out of the store and down the hall.

* * *

Travis scrambled out of the store, running down the foyer as fast as he could. The realization struck him that most stores were locked and there was not alot of options. He sudduenly remembered the bathrooms and turned sharply to the left. Going down the small hall, he stopped at the men's then turned to the women's, creeping inside and going to the very back stall, getting ontop of the toilet and crouching.

Looking at his watch, the five minutes he got were now up so he braced himself, praying Lawuc wouldn't find him. Minutes-- what felt like hours to Travis--went by and just as he was starting to get restless, the door squeaked open and the padding of feet could be heard. He lowered his breathing, nearly holding his breath. The creak of the stall doors swinging back fused through the air and he moved up against the side of the wall, the toilet paper handle holding his foot up as to hide him behind the steel black door. Seconds later the bathroom door squeaked again and he sighed with relief.

Travis waited a few minutes then ran out of the bathroom. Finding the coast clear, he sidled down the short hallway.

"There you are." Turning around quickly at the voice, he found Ernie and Thelma.

"Hey yeah, did you guys find a way out?"

They shook their heads smiling and Travis sighed miserably.

"Well okay, I'm gona get us out of here, hold tight." He ran over to the food court, heading to the very back counter before jumping behind it and crawling underneath. A few moments later he heard foot stops and whistling.

"Come out come out wherever you are", Lawuc' creepy voice sing-songed as he walked over to the counter Travis was hiding under. Travis folded himself as much as he could into the shasdows and when he seen Lawuc's face skim right past him without spotting his figure, he let out the air he was holding in his lungs as the footsteps dispersed. Standing up he looked around. Hopping over the counter, his shirt got caught and he turned around to give it a yank before it came tearing loose.

"Dammit...Whoa! You scared me!", he shouted as he came face to faces with Charles and Lucy.

"Sorry", Lucy apologized, giggling. "We were just wondering if you've found a way out?"

"Yeah, have you?", Charles asked.

"Not yet, I'm uh working on it." Travis looked at his watch and came to the conclusion he only had six minutes left.

"Sorry, gota go."

He bounded off towards a trash can, removing the lid and jumped inside, thankful it wasn't full while placing the lid back on. A tap-tap on the ground floated into his ears along with the familiar whistling and knew Lawuc was approaching. Everything around became silent, and he could feel Lawuc's gaze searching around the secluded area. When the tapping sounded again and then died off into the distance he hopped out, wiping his pants. When he turned around he was startled to find Lawerence leaning causaully against the wall, a sly smile on his face.

"Hey kid, how's it going so far?"

"Uhhhh-", The familar whistling drifted through the air and he looked at his watch which read that he still had three minutes left. Swearing under his breath, Travis ran down the long hallway and when he ended up back at the T.V store an idea popped into his mind. Lawuc would never find him there because that is where they started off. He ran into the store and went to the very back, opening up the closet door and sliding in.

"Boo!" Travis screamed and the familiar blue eyes glowed in the dark and he flew out of the closet, running through the aisle and out of the store. He was heaving by the time he reached the corridor and rested his hands upon his knees, panting.

"You lose."

He turned to see Lawuc smirking evily and he pointed to his watch.

"Time was already up when you found me."

"No, look again Trav, you had one minute left. I win."

Travis shook his head and ran down the hall. Suddenly Lawerence stepped in front of his path.

"Oh thank good, you have to help me!"

Lawerence grinned.

"Pay up kid."

Travis looked around confused as Ernie, Thelma, Lucy, and Charles came up from all sides and surrounded him.

"Poor boy, couldn't win the game", Thelma said with a shake of her head.

"Yeah now his time is up."

Travis looked from Thelma to Charles and then to Lucy.

"Lucy you have to help me!", he pleaded.

She smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes.

"Sorry Travis, I tried to warn you, but... you didn't get it."

The five moved in on him, now completely blockading him in a circle as they began to chant, "You lose, you lose."

"No, help! Help! Heellpp!!", Travis screamed, but it was too late... they had totally engulfed him.

* * *

"Attention shoppers welcome, we hope you have a nice shopping day."

A figure stepped in front a tiny store at the corner of the mall, unlocking the glass door and switching the sign to open. He shrugged of his black coat, setting it on a chair before turning around to face the items in his small department.

"Hello... Thelma, Ernie, Charles, Lucy, Lawerence", he paused for a second, a wide grin forming on his face when noise interrupted him.

A dinging signaling the entrance of someone into the store turned his head to the customer at hand.

"Welcome to_ Memorial Found_... how can I help you?"

"Yeah I'm looking for a statue, I heard you have the best in town?" The man smirked at the customer.

"That I do." The blonde haired guy walked further into the store coming to stand in front of six statues.

"Wow. They look so real. Like actual human statues."

The man walked over to the last one on the corner, running his hands over the copper figure, amazed at how every curve matched.

"This one is nice."

"Oh yes, I just got it in last night."

"What do you call it?"

The figure smirked as blue eyes twinkled in there sockets.

"I like to call it... _**Travis**_."

**Travis Walton, a small town teenager lost in life found out that there's more to dreaming then just dreaming and in one moment he learned this secret and paid a hefty cost as he stumbled into... the twilight zone.**


End file.
